While cellular immunotherapies, which encompass dendritic cell therapy and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, are expected to show promising results in combination treatments in the next few years, they are unlikely to make a significant impact on the immuno-oncology market in the short term. Recent advancements in the field of adoptive T-cell therapy have created much excitement surrounding CAR-T therapy as a potential cure for a variety of cancers. Indeed, the treatment hit the headlines in February 2016 after a preliminary clinical trial found that six out of the seven patients treated with CAR-T therapy were in complete remission.

Novartis’ CAR-T therapy, CTL019, will most likely be the first of its kind to be approved for patients with acute leukemia, giving it a head start in the segment. At present, Juno Therapeutics’ JCAR-015, and Kite Pharma’s KTL-019 are also at the forefront of CAR-T cell therapy development, and all three products have FDA breakthrough therapy designation. Early studies of these drugs have demonstrated very impressive remission rates of up to 90%, although it is still too early to tell if these remissions will turn into cures. Downsides of CAR-T therapies include their association with severe immune toxicities, specifically cytokine release syndrome (CRS), which can be fatal.

GlobalData’s latest report Immuno-Oncology Strategic Insight: Multi-Indication and Market Size Analysis provides analysis of the total immuno-oncology market across the 7 major countries of the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and Japan, including annualized forecast market data from 2019 through to 2024. It also includes strategic competitor assessment, market characterization, unmet needs, clinical trial mapping and implications for the immuno-oncology therapeutics space.

Key highlights:

Opdivo will be the biggest selling IO drug by 2024, with approval forecast in seven indications

Keytruda will be the second biggest selling IO drug by 2024, with approval forecast in eight indications

NSCLC, melanoma, and myeloma will have the greatest contributions to the IO market in 2019 and 2024

Novel combinations will allow late-to-market entrants such as durvalumab to achieve significant sales